The Memphis Tigers extended their winning streak to six games on Saturday night, handing the Tulsa Golden Hurricane a decisive 35-14 defeat at the Liberty Bowl. It was a matchup that highlighted the Tigers' offensive firepower against a Tulsa defense struggling to find its rhythm early in the season.
Indeed, Memphis struck first with a 75-yard touchdown drive capped by a Seth Henigan pass to a wide-open receiver in the end zone just minutes into the first quarter. Tulsa responded sluggishly, managing only a field goal before halftime, but the damage was already mounting. Henigan threw for 285 yards and three touchdowns, slicing through Tulsa's secondary like it was paper-thin. The Golden Hurricane's offense, led by their freshman quarterback, faltered under pressure, turning the ball over twice in the red zone.
Moreover, the Tigers' ground game added insult to injury. Running back Blake Watson bulldozed for 142 yards and a score, exploiting gaps that Tulsa's linebackers couldn't close fast enough. It wasn't pretty for the visitors from Oklahoma—Tulsa's total yardage barely scraped 220, a far cry from their hopes of upsetting a conference rival. Coach Dabo Swinney—no, wait, that's Clemson; Memphis's Ryan Silverfield praised his team's execution post-game, though he noted room for improvement on special teams.
However, Tulsa showed flashes late, with a touchdown run in the fourth quarter that briefly quieted the crowd of 32,000. Still, it felt too little, too late. The loss drops the Golden Hurricane to 2-4 overall, 0-2 in conference play, raising questions about their rebuild under new leadership. Memphis, now 6-0 and atop the AAC standings, solidifies its case as a playoff contender.
Indeed, this game underscored the gap between a surging program and one still piecing things together. As both teams look ahead, one can't help but wonder how far Memphis can carry this momentum before facing stiffer tests.